Passivhaus designs are among the most energy efficient buildings on earth[1], and that's why we are so excited to bring you a roundup of 6 of our favorites! Europe has already produced more than 20,000 Passivhaus buildings[2] - drastically reducing the continent's overall carbon footprint. As you might have expected, America is quite far behind, but watch out because we're definitely catching up. Step in to see a handful of the world's coolest low-energy homes.

This unique Passivhaus in Brussels, Belgium has a chalkboard skin which gives it tremendous curbside appeal. BLAF Architecten[16] expertly strikes a balance between creating a Passivhaus design that slightly exceeds requirements while still creating an environment that is inviting to children who are eager for play. This project’s extraordinary energy efficiency[17] combined with a 3.7 kW solar array puts it high up on our list of most sustainable homes.

Employing the principles of Passivhaus design[2], the JustK house by Deutschland-based AMUNT[19] makes use of its local climate, superior insulation, and passive design to create an uber energy efficient prefabricated home. Other challenges that the designer met along the way included strict building codes and a small plot and budget. Even so, they persevered, and we are completely enamored with this beautiful project.

Wanting a low-cost home with a small footprint, Richard Hawkes[21] kept finding more ways to make this now-certified Passivhaus even more sustainable than originally planned. It has a beautiful living meadow on its roof, which insulates the home, several renewable energy sources[22] provide heat and electricity, and all kinds of recycled goodies were mixed in with the building’s lime mortar. A great deal of this project’s thermal massing[23] is derived from 26,000 clay bricks that were dug and formed just four miles from the vaulted home’s site.

Karawitz Architecture[25] designed a home in Bessancourt, France that looks just like a traditional farmhouse but that actually conceals a whole pile of extraordinary green design details. The home has an extraordinary shuttered bamboo skin – one of the world’s most renewable materials[26] – in addition to solar panels on the roof. This is the first house to receive the Passivhaus certification in the Ile de France region.

Mojarrab Stanford Architects[28] built this recently completed Passivhaus as a live/work in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The family home is the latest in a series of super progressive programs ongoing near one of the America’s oldest towns, and manages to retain something of a historical character without compromising on sustainability. Check out our exclusive photos of this awe-inspiring photos.